John Donne And Hemingway

November 3, 2018 - 0 Comments

I. Introduction Ernest Hemingways For Whom the Bell Tolls was said to be oneof the most famous books that came out of the Spanish Civil War. This book asbeen said to have served as a prelude to the devastation of World War II becauseit freed the world united against Fascism. The novel shows humanitys greatcapacity for hope or despair, which is portrayed through two contrastingcharacters, Anselmo who is devoted,and Pablo, who is brutish. This literary workis realistic and the title was quoted from John Donnes Meditation 17, …

Any mans death diminishes me, beacause I am involved in Mankind; Andtherefore never send know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee. Themain character in the novel is Robert Jordan who is an American fighting withSpanish Loyalists. Roberts character feels like an alien in his setting anddisoriented. He symbolizes the best of the American dream by giving up hisreputation, the good life, and security. Robert is a talkative, moody, andlifeless. In the novel, Jordan falls in love with Maria. She does not live avery interesting life and described as a very gentle person. Her main concern inlife is to please Robert as if he is almost a master. The bad guy of thestory is Pablo. He is viewed in the rumors during the time of war. Robertdepends on Pablo for attack plans and escape routes,which shows a reverse traiton both men. The story begins with Robert and a guide hiking through themountains. Jordan planned to make contact with a guerilla band led by Pablo, andPilar, his wife. Jordan destroyed bridges to secure attack. Jordan and Mariafall in love during a mission. El Sordo agreed to help with a mission to blow upthe bridge and secure horses to help the escape. El Sordo and his men were laterkilled by the Fascist bombers. As Jordan slept, Pablo, stole and destroyed allof Roberts weapons. Jordan and his guide, Anselmo, killed the guards of thebridge and then destroyed it with dynamite. Jordan found Pablo and forced him toadmitting that he himself had killed the other guerrillas for their horses.

Robert then crossed the bridge last as the Fascist troops had their tanks andbullets came after him. He told Maria of his love for her and layed next to herwith his crushed leg and later died. Rather than dying in vain, he had hissubmachine gun at his side. He took aim at the leading Fascist officer who wasnear, and shot him. Hemingway developed the theme of John Donne by portrayingthat the destiny of all human beings was bound up in the Spanish Civil War.

Ernest and John both believed that each man exists bound intimately to the fateof his or her neighbor. They also thought that every human is a neighbor whocant be ignored if he or she suffers or dies. II. Body Nunc lento sonitudicunt, Morieris, (Now this bell tolling softly for another, says to me, Thoumust die.) from John Donnes Meditation 17. In his long serious essay, hestates that All mankind is of one author and is one volume; when one mandies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a betterlanguage, and every chapter must be so translated. These ideas found in theessay surface in Ernest Hemingways For Whom the Bell Tolls. Both writersbelieved that a mans fate is shared by his neighbor and that he cant beignored if he or she is suffering or dying. Hemingways novel included thesacrifice of ones reputation for his neighbors, the love of another neighbor,and the end of his translation. Ernest Hemingways style of writing wasforged but became to be original. His prose was made of a collection of short,strong, sonorous sentences. His writing always contained heros that were menbroken by the world. The women were strong yet weak and always described asbeautiful. Hemingway was best known for describing courage. Ernest found writingtips from the King James Bible, the deceased Mark Twain, and Stephan Crane.

After finding his own original style, he developed a power in simplicity andpoetry in the everday speech. Hemingway finally made sense of the usualadjective filled works of mainstream writing. John Donnes keen mind led topowerful sermons, both in the church and in his literary works. One of hisreligious prose, Meditation 17, is one of the most quoted works of all time.

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent,a part of the main…; any mans death diminishes me, for I am involved inmankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls forthee. Donnes sonnet structure has been associated with WilliamShakespeare. They contain three quatrians and a concluding rhymed couplet. Theyare not sonnet like in which they dont have narrative or a defined theme. Inthe beginning of Hemingways novel, John Donne is quoted, No man is anIland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of themaine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the less, as well as if aPromontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were;any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And thereforenever send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee. Hemingwayadvanced the theme of this poet by showing that the destiny of all human beingswere constrained in the Spanish Civil War. For Whom the Bell Tolls , is a veryslow moving story that acquires many actions to happen in the three days thestory takes place. Along with Hemingways heavy description and redundancy, itgives the story a hard understanding of Donnes ideas. The explanation of thecharacters give the feeling of the two authors similar beliefs. When Ernestdescribes the main character, Robert Jordan, as very involved with mankind bysacrificing his life for his fellow human being. In John Donnes Meditation17, … Any mans death diminshes me because I am involved in mankind; andtherefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee… Inboth literary works, death is an important theme. All of mankind has a time forwhich the bell tolls for them. At the end Hemingways novel, the maincharacter refused to die in vain. He died with his riffle in his hand andprohibits dying without winning. He voices his feelings to his love and thenkills the leader of the enemy. Hemingway is known for his description ofcourage. Most of his works have him as the main character and the adventures areof his own. His life time opportunities and experiences are told throughout allof his literary works. An idea in Donnes essay is about how God picks a fewpeople as translators for several reasons such as age, sickness, justice, andsometimes war, but he calls upon everyone to come. The idea of Hemingwayscharacter dying without triumph is reviewing Donnes inspiration on a mansfate having an impact on all neighbors. When Robert Jordan died in war, he notonly killed others, his death had an impression on others in his life. Whenpeople are brought to war in a country, they work together for security ofothers. No one is fending for themselves, they are fighting for eachother. InMeditation 17 , No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is a pieceof the continent, a part of the main. This idea surfaces in For Whom the BellTolls , time after time when the characters work together to find escape routesand tactics to win the battle in the Spanish Civil War. The power of God is astrong theme in John Donnes essay. He gives examples of Gods power overmankind such as the setting of the sun, and the time in which we are called uponto exit life. The essay also states that humans take advantage of all the giftswe are given such as living itself. The idea that man is as selfish as toconsider his or her own power, and not consider Gods power over the entireworld and he himself can call upon the occasion of the ringing of thebell. This idea of human power verses His power, is evident in Hemingwaysnovel with the actions of war. One country fighting another because of power ofman. III. Conclusion Ernest Hemingway and John Donne had many similar ideas andbeliefs. After reading Donnes long serious essay, Meditation 17 , many oftheir shared points were evident throughout Hemingways For Whom the BellTolls. They both thought that someones fate is shared by his or her neighbor.

Another idea that the two writers shared was the notion that a neighbor cannotbe ignored if she or he suffers or dies. An indication that the opinions weremutual were through articles found in the novel that could be related toDonnes essay. Hemingway was trying to remind his reader of the poetsillustrating works with his own similar ideas that mankinds destiny andrelated it to the controlled environment of the Spanish Civil War.